Herb & supplement monograph

English Ivy Drug Interactions, Uses, Effectiveness, Safety & More

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS ·Updated July 2026

What is this page for?

First and foremost: how English Ivy interacts with medications. The heart of this page is the interaction list — every drug English Ivy is known to interact with, and how serious each one is.

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what English Ivy is, what people use it for and how strong the evidence is, its safety and side effects, and answers to the questions we’re asked most — written and reviewed by the clinical staff at HelloPharmacist. It’s educational information from our licensed clinical databases, not medical advice, and we don’t sell or endorse products. Our editorial policy

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Reviewed by licensed pharmacists Sourced from Natural Medicines

On this page

English Ivy Drug Interactions: The Bottom Line

From the HelloPharmacist Editorial Team · Updated July 2026

Based on the available evidence, the overall risk of a clinically significant English Ivy drug interaction appears low for most people. None of the listed interactions are rated major, and all of them come from lab research alone, with no confirmed reports of problems in people so far.

Interactions deserving the most attention

No individual medication stands out with strong human evidence. Every flagged combination falls into one theme: medications cleared by the CYP2C19, CYP2C8, or CYP2D6 liver enzymes. Lab studies suggest English ivy may slow these enzymes, which could in theory raise the levels of medications that depend on them. Because this has not been shown to happen in people, it remains a theoretical caution rather than a proven risk.

What the rest of the list means

The long list of moderate interactions mostly reflects how many everyday medications rely on these three enzymes, not evidence that each pairing is harmful. All of the entries trace back to the same laboratory finding, and none of the predicted effects have been reported in humans. In short, English ivy's interaction profile looks broad on paper but is thin on real-world evidence.

Check your medications against English Ivy

Based on HelloPharmacist’s English Ivy interaction data and reviewed under our editorial standards.

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with English Ivy

281 medications have a known interaction with English Ivy, graded by severity. Select any drug for the full evidence-based detail.

Don’t want to scroll the list? Just ask.

Tell us the medications you take and we’ll check each one against English Ivy using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our English Ivy interaction data for education only — always confirm with your pharmacist. How we use AI

2,830 drugs

Read The List Like a Pharmacist

What Severity, Likelihood & Evidence Mean

Severity — How Serious It Can Be

Major. Clinically significant; generally best avoided, or used only under direct professional supervision.
Moderate. May need monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one.
Minor. Generally not clinically significant, but still worth noting and mentioning to your pharmacist.
No known interaction. Checked against our sources with nothing documented — not the same as proven safety.

Likelihood — How Well It’s Documented

Likely. Well-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction
Probable. Interaction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
Possible. Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists
Unlikely. Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.

Where This Data Comes From

Interaction records are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database (TRC Healthcare), the same reference used by pharmacists and hospitals.
Each drug listed above links to the full report for that exact English Ivy combination — clinical detail, likelihood, evidence level, and citations.
Content is reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

The big picture

The kinds of drugs English Ivy affects

Every type of medication (drug category) English Ivy is known to interact with. Open any category for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

All 3 drug categories English Ivy interacts with

Cytochrome P450 2c19 (cyp2c19) SubstratesCytochrome P450 2c8 (cyp2c8) SubstratesCytochrome P450 2d6 (cyp2d6) Substrates

Cytochrome P450 2C19 (Cyp2C19) Substrates

Theoretically, English ivy might increase the levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2C19.
In vitro research shows that English ivy inhibits CYP2C19 enzymes. So far, this interaction has not been reported in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 2C8 (Cyp2C8) Substrates

Theoretically, English ivy might increase the levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2C8.
In vitro research shows that English ivy inhibits CYP2C8 enzymes. So far, this interaction has not been reported in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 2D6 (Cyp2D6) Substrates

Theoretically, English ivy might increase the levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2D6.
In vitro research shows that English ivy inhibits CYP2D6 enzymes. So far, this interaction has not been reported in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Monograph

English Ivy: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Reviewed July 2026 ·

The bottom line

English ivy leaf extract is most commonly used in cough and cold syrups to help loosen mucus and ease coughing, and it is a popular ingredient in many European herbal products. Some research suggests it may help with certain coughs, but the evidence is still limited and mixed. The raw plant is poisonous if eaten and can irritate skin, so only use properly prepared commercial products and check with your pharmacist first.

Scientific name: Hedera helix
Family: Araliaceae
Part used: Leaves (dried leaf extract)
Common forms: Syrups, cough drops, oral drops, capsules, tea, topical preparations

People commonly use it for

Cough and chest congestion
Bronchitis
Asthma symptoms
Sore throat
Skin irritation

Popular and traditional uses — not proof it works. See “Uses & effectiveness” below for the evidence.

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Standardized leaf-extract products are generally well tolerated, but the raw plant is toxic and can cause poisoning or skin reactions.

PregnancyInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using. A small retrospective study suggests that taking English ivy leaf extract at an unknown dose...

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using.

Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center). Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

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Overview

English ivy (Hedera helix) is a climbing evergreen vine native to Europe and parts of Asia. It is well known as a decorative plant that grows on walls, fences, and trees, with dark green, glossy leaves.

In herbal medicine, the dried leaves are used to make extracts that are added to cough syrups, drops, and lozenges. These products are especially popular in Europe, where ivy leaf extract is a common ingredient in over-the-counter cough remedies. Traditionally, ivy has also been used for breathing problems, inflammation, and skin issues.

It is important to know the difference between the raw plant and a standardized commercial extract. The raw leaves and berries are poisonous if swallowed, while properly made extracts are processed to be safer for use.

How it works

English ivy leaves contain natural compounds called saponins, including one called hederacoside C (which the body can turn into alpha-hederin). These saponins are believed to be the main active ingredients.

Researchers think these compounds may help thin and loosen mucus so it is easier to cough up, and may help relax the airways to make breathing easier. Laboratory studies also suggest ivy may have some anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects.

It is important to remember that much of this information comes from laboratory and animal research, and the exact way ivy works in people is not fully understood.

Effectiveness

Does English Ivy work?

Here’s what the research actually shows for each use — graded by Natural Medicines and reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD.

Evidence overview · 8 uses evaluated

8 Insufficient evidence

How to read these evidence grades

Natural Medicines’ 7-point scale. We show each rating’s label word-for-word.

1EffectiveStrong, consistent evidence it works.

2Likely EffectiveGood evidence, though not yet conclusive.

3Possibly EffectiveSome evidence suggests a benefit.

4Possibly IneffectiveSome evidence it may not help.

5Likely IneffectiveFairly strong evidence it doesn’t help.

6IneffectiveStrong evidence it doesn’t work.

7Insufficient Reliable Evidence to RateToo little research to say either way.

For English Ivy, current evidence isn’t strong enough to rate any specific use. The conditions it has been studied for are listed below.

Also studied for 8 conditions — evidence insufficient to rate

Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Bronchitis